Free registration here

Internet-based services are about to see their world undergo a sea change. New EU regulation is in the offing, in the shape of the new Digital Services Act Package which aims at modernising the current legal framework for digital services. But what will be the impact of this legislative proposal on the audiovisual sector?

High time to zoom into what this new legislative package proposes and so the European Audiovisual Observatory is inviting you to a first look at the new Digital Services Act Package in this free online conference. The conference is the seventh edition of the Observatory’s traditional "Brussels series" of events taking place annually in the Belgian capital. For obvious reasons this year's event is taking place online on Thursday 11 February from 15.00 to 17.00 Brussels/Paris time. Registration is free by clicking on the link above.

In terms of the timeframe of this new legislation, a public consultation was launched in 2019 and dealt with themes such as the protection and safety of online users, the liability of "gatekeeper" digital services, online advertising and the reinforcement of the Digital Single Market. The two new Regulation proposals contained in the proposed legislative package, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), were published on 15 December 2020. So 2021 should see the European Parliament and the Member States discuss the Commission's proposals in the ordinary legislative procedure.

The Observatory's Executive Director, Susanne Nikoltchev, stated that "Europe has reached a key moment in the preparation of this new regulatory package." She felt the Observatory conference would offer "an expert forum for a first deep analysis of what the consequences for the European audiovisual sector may be."

The Observatory will provide a scene-setting overview and then more detailed discussions with selected experts and exchanges with our audience will follow.

All journalists are most welcome to join us. The working language is English. Conference speakers will be announced soon.